Livio stands under a tree and activates his Pbv. The activation is fast compared to before.
He concentrates on his Pbv, balancing it between his eyes and body. He tries to hit each leaf falling from the tree, and he does. He strikes each leaf with precise accuracy, and whenever his Pbv-infused punch lands on a leaf, it gets split. He repeats this for ten minutes.
"Sigh! Maybe I should try something new. How about breaking rocks?"
Livio then heads into the forest to find a large rock.
He discovers a field full of rocks of various shapes and sizes.
"Amazing. Thank God! Now, let's see.... Yes, that one looks good."
Livio runs toward a rock, which is about half his size.
He activates his Pbv swiftly and starts punching the rock.
The rock is destroyed in two hits.
"Damn! Not good enough. Maybe I need more training."
He sits on the ground, disappointed.
Livio looks at the sky.
"Wait a minute. When I use Pbv in my eyes, my vision improves. What will happen if I concentrate all my Pbv into one fist? Let's try that out."
Livio searches for a rock larger than himself.
"This one will be perfect."
Suddenly, Livio hears a scream and looks up.
He sees a large bird-like creature passing overhead, followed by many others.
"Guess their air training is going well. My friends in the aerial branch are working hard to control that creature," Livio mutters. Then he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
"But I still don't understand why no one from our whole group was selected for the healing squad. I have a bad feeling about this."
Livio stands before a rock twice his size.
He activates his Pbv and concentrates all of it into his right fist. Slowly, the Pbv in his body flows toward his fist, sparking with energy as his fist overflows with power.
"Here it goes."
Livio slams his fist into the rock, penetrating it. Slowly, cracks spread across the rock until it completely shatters.
"That was tough. I'm beat."
Livio sits on the ground.
"For a supply team member, I think I've done more than enough training. I'll visit Eero today.... and her, as well."
He leaves for his room.
Everyone in the combat team is training hard, without rest.
Livio gets ready to visit the bakery again.
"I think I should go alone. I shouldn't disturb their training. I'll head out now."
Livio leaves for the bakery.
"I hope she'll accept this."
Livio carries a gift, his face red.
He steps into the bakery, the familiar scent of freshly baked bread and coffee filling the air. His heart races as he clutches the gift in his hand, determined to do this right.
Athena is behind the counter, her face lighting up when she sees him.
"Livio, you're back! What brings you here today?"
He gathers his courage, clears his throat, and tries to perfect his voice.
"I wanted to give you something."
Her eyes widen, curiosity sparkling in them.
"For me?"
Nodding, Livio pulls out a delicate silver hairpin shaped like a crescent moon.
"It's nothing special, but it reminded me of you when I saw it."
Athena's lips curl into a soft smile as she reaches for the hairpin. Her fingers brush against his for a moment.
"It's beautiful," she whispers, admiring the craftsmanship. "Thank you, Livio. This means a lot."
Livio feels warmth in his chest as her genuine gratitude settles between them. Before he can say anything, Athena steps away from the counter and retrieves something from a drawer.
She returns with a round blue stone and a blood-red katana with intricate carvings on its handle.
"For you," she says softly, holding the item.
"The stone is for protection, and the katana i gave you earlier... you'll know when to use it."
Livio's breath catches as he takes the gift, his eyes wide.
"Athena, I... this is.... I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything," she replies, her gaze steady. "Just keep them close, Livio. I have a feeling you'll need them soon."
He nods, gripping the stone tightly.
"I will. Thank you, Athena."
Their eyes meet, a silent understanding passing between them before the moment fades into a comfortable quiet.
Livio leaves the bakery. A bird flies past him, landing by a fountain to drink water.
"Hey, Livio, where have you been?"
Nitin wipes his face with a wet cloth, his body dripping with sweat.
Nicola spots the stone and immediately stands up from his push-up position.
"I went to...…" Livio pauses, forgetting what to say.
"No need to explain! You went to meet Athena, right? Did she give you some gifts?"
Sebastian approaches with a bottle of orange juice.
"Damn, Livio, you bastard! How could you? You said there was nothing between you two, and now you're stealing her like candy from a toddler!"
Nicola hits the ground repeatedly.
Luka arrives with a large plate of snacks for the group, setting it down gently.
"Livio, you son of a bitch. You stole my girl. Now I have to wait again."
"You guys are wrong. She and I are just friends."
Livio rubs his head with his left hand, revealing the blue stone.
Khalid steps closer.
"Can I touch the stone? Please."
Livio opens his hand.
"Sure!"
Khalid touches the stone, excitement filling his face.
"This is a teleportation item. A gentle squeeze can break it, and anyone touching it directly or indirectly will be teleported to another location. The user can control the destination."
"You know so much."
Livio sits down, pointing the stone toward the sun.
"His name is Khalid. While you were at the bakery, he became friends with us."
Viktor sits beside Livio.
"Oh, nice to meet you."
Livio place the stone on the ground beside him.
"Nice to meet you too."
Khalid smiles.
Livio's friends gather in a circle, joined by some new faces.
"Hey, Viktor, I know Khalid, Ethan, Oliver, Travis, and Saul, but who are those two?"
Livio whispers to Viktor.
"The tall man is Mr. Mogambo. He joined the military to pay for his daughter's treatment. The other one is Leo."
Viktor points to them.
Leo, sitting between Nicola and Luka, has a black mark below his left eye.
"Hey, Livio, do you want to see Leo's ability?"
Nitin shouts from a distance.
Livio gets excited.
"Sure!"
Leo pulls out a small black tablet, the size of a watch.
"Those are smoke bombs," Viktor comments, eating a piece of cake.
Leo slams the smoke bomb into the ground, creating a thick cloud of smoke.
When the smoke clears, Leo has vanished. Everyone nearby looks confused.
Livio looks around, his head turning left and right, but he can't find Leo.
Suddenly, a hand touches Livio's shoulder from behind. His heart skips a beat, making him jump forward.
"Surprise! Did you miss me?"
Leo poses like a clown.
Everyone claps.
"Thank you, thank you," Leo says, giving a dab.
"Amazing! You scared the crap out of me. How did you…...?"
Livio notices the dark spot below Leo's right eye.
"Wait a minute. The dark spot changed position. How is that possible?"
Livio's eyes narrow as he tries to figure it out.
"Who are you? You're not Leo. The black spot is in a different place."
Livio points at him.
"So, you noticed. I'm impressed."
The real Leo stands up from behind Nicola.
"What? How? Oh, you guys are twins!"
Livio chuckles.
"I'm Liam, his twin brother."
Liam shakes Livio's hand.
The group's laughter brightens the atmosphere, and the evening passes as darkness blankets the sky.